The Summer Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation brings together an international group of scholars and graduate students to attend lectures and develop their research in the emerging field of Improvisation Studies, at Memorial University from June 30th to July 12th, 2014.

The Institute will present a series of keynote lectures by Dr. Jesse Stewart, a JUNO award-winning musician, visual artist, instrument builder, writer, and educator on the theme of Improvisation as Practice-Based Research. The lectures will explore the ways in which improvisatory arts practices can be integrated with scholarly research agendas and how academic research questions, methodologies, and outcomes can benefit improvisatory creative practices and vice versa.

Hosted by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation and Memorial University’s School of Music, the institute will be held in parallel with the Sound Symposium, an international gathering of musicians and sound artists. The following events are open to the public :

• June 30th to July 4th, 9:30-11:30am, Improvisation as Practice-Based Research Lecture Series, MMaP Gallery, Arts and Culture Centre
• July 10th, 3 - 5pm, Sound Symposium Performance, LSPU Hall
• July 11th, 12 – 5 pm, Forum on Improvisation as Practice Based Research, Suncor Energy Hall, School of Music

For questions, contact the Summer Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation coordinator, Dr. Frederique Arroyas, farroyas@uoguelph.ca or Dr. Ellen Waterman, Dean, School of Music ellenw@mun.ca